The North Carolina Tar Heels were able to pry away quarterback Drake Maye from Alabama, a program he was once committed to in his recruitment.
It was a significant win for Mack Brown as he was also able to flip Sam Howell away from Florida State. After Maye sat behind Howell for a year, he won the battle to be the starting quarterback for the 2022 season and impressed right away.
Maye was one of the best quarterbacks in the country, breaking records as UNC’s offense was putting up points in bunches. But after the season, there were rumors that teams were in pursuit of Maye to transfer to the program, giving UNC fans a scare. In the end, the rumors were just that—rumors.
In an interview with Pro Football Focus, Maye talked about his commitment to North Carolina and how much he loves the program. He revealed that he never considered leaving the Tar Heels:
“Carolina blue means a lot to me,” Maye said. “It means something playing for my home state.”
With all of Maye’s success came rumors of a potential transfer to powerhouses such as Alabama and Georgia this offseason. But he plans to stick around.
“I really didn’t have any intentions ever to leave,” he said. “I wanted to play here, and this is where I want to end up graduating.”
Maye returns for another season as the starter and is considered one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy. In addition to that, it looks like a battle between him and USC’s Caleb Williams for the top quarterback overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
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